Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-12-16
PRETTY SHOP GIRLS.
An Interesting Sight on Lower broadway
When They Are Out an Force

IL Is a pleasure 10 walk up Broadway
rom Chambers 10 Blocker street any
bright afternoon from $50 10 o'clock
,ays a New York correspondent. Nearly
every one of the big buildings within
those limits has factories on every floor,
whore hundreds and thousands Of girls
RrU employed in making clothing, under
wear, necktics, cloaks, fancy boxes and
other articles Of luxury and necessity.
Pretty much all of them are between the
ages of II and % BY the time they arc
p they are either married or swept away.
no one knows where. Most of these
factories close at 3 80 and the girls hurry
on their wraps and start for home, and
great numbers OF them live in BROOKLYN
and New Jersey. where board and lodg-
inc is much cheaper than i'm New York
and so they walk down Broadway 10 the
ferries. They are as handsome a set of
girls as can be found anywhere. Like
nearly all American women they have the
knack of dressing bccommgiy. and their
trim and shapely hgurcs are sAoWn off TO
good advantage They do not look dis.
rontonted if bright and cheerful faces are
NY criterion, and they chatter merrily as
hey pass along two or three at Il time.
They have the independent bearing OF
girls who know they earn their own living
and are net dependent on any man Tor sup
port. Some of the prettiest are accompa.
nicd by young mCn-pCrhaps some OF the
clerks who have taken a fancy 20 them.
Nearly all OF them have been pupils in the
public schools. They read the newspapers
and can talk Clcvcrly a vast amount
of rot is printed about them, but
in point of fact they are as Jolly
- . xtr,.p,nft
as can be found anywhere in the world.
There is a great cutlery ON the part of the
atrical. short haired and atmospheric phil
antrophists at times. because factory and
shop girls do not give up their employment
and seek homes as servants in uptown
families. "hc girl knows what she is
about. The bcdragglcd maid of AL work,
naggcd 10y silly mistress abused by u
homie of snappy children and saddlcd with
q thousand cares, has one night out week,
when she has an opportunity TO be Cuurted
~ the CuaChmau or the hOstlCr. The
working girl Is her own mistress absolutely
from the time She leaves the factory at d
o'clock in the evening until she returns at
the following morning Her indcpcn-
dcnCc is absolute, and during her hours of
freedom she is as much "a lady us the wife
Of the President. She visits her friends
and receives the calls of men who are by no
means TO be dcspiscd in the matrimonial
market. 4 great aud welcome change
bias come over public opinion respecting
women who have the courage, faith, and
energy 10 go out i'm the world and make
themselves the arbitcrs Of their own fu-
lures instead of moping at home burden
10 their friends and "a trial to their rcla-
tvcs That workingwomcn command in
many instances the highest respect cannot
be denied by any man who has an init
mate knowledge of New York life. There
are ladies Of high culture, finished accom-
plishmcnts, and many graces OF mind and
person i'm the boarding houses of New
York who are the popular leaders of little
social circles despite the fact that they are
employed during the day. There are
grades of labor, and women have learned
to look the wor4I IN the face and fight FOR
tie best fields.